1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vending machine adapted to provide for the purchase of various forms of information. More specifically, the vending machine is adapted to receive an updated selection of electronic information via a remote information source and provide for the sale a printed medium of that information.
2. Discussion of the Background
There are several options available to consumers who wish to purchase various forms of information. Consumers who wish to have access to daily newspapers or periodicals such as magazines can either purchase such information from a store or from a newsstand. However, these options are not always ideal for consumers, or for the companies attempting to sell such information to these consumers. For example, maintaining and operating a store or newsstand can be an expensive endeavor for a vendor. The availability of locations of such stores are frequently limited by local zoning ordinances or by the owner of the premises. The vendors are also limited by the amount of space available to stock items, which thereby limits the size and variety of the selection that is available to consumers for purchase. There are also large costs to the original seller of the information in printing and then distributing and shipping large quantities of newspapers, magazines, books, etc., to each vendor.
Recently the Internet has provided consumers with access to a broad variety of information that was previously difficult or impossible to find. The Internet has provided sellers of books, magazines, periodicals, etc., with the ability to provide access to consumers of a huge variety of materials without the cost of distributing hard copies of the materials to a large network of vendors. However, in order for a consumer to have access to such a wealth of information, the consumer must have access to the Internet. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that provides convenient access to such a wealth of information.
Even for consumers with access to the Internet, the consumer either has the option of downloading and printing the information or having the seller ship a hardcopy of the material to the consumer. Clearly the option of shipping the material has disadvantages to the seller and the consumer of cost and delay in receipt of the materials. Additionally, the option of downloading and printing the information requires that the consumer have access to various hardware such as a computer and a printer, and that the consumer have access to the Internet at the moment the consumer wishes to purchase the material. Furthermore, the process of downloading and printing information can be a time consuming endeavor, especially when the information is downloaded and printed on a piecemeal basis for each individual consumer.
The present invention advantageously provides an electronic information vending machine and method that allows users to purchase various forms of information, such as newspapers, magazines, books, etc., quickly and conveniently at a vending machine or kiosk-type device.
The invention retrieves a block of information from the remote source and stores that block of information for later purchase by a user of a portion of the stored block of information. The invention thereby allows a user to quickly access the stored information and quickly print out a copy of the information without having to wait for the information to be downloaded on a piecemeal basis as each user selects an item, which can be a time consuming endeavor. The vending machine can retrieve the block of information at a time when the vending machine would not normally have a high volume of use, thereby limiting any disruption to the normal use of the machine.
The invention achieves the above advantageous results utilizing a method and apparatus for providing information that generally includes retrieving a block of electronic information from a remote information source at a predetermined time. The block of electronic information retrieved from the remote source is stored on a data storage unit, for example a high capacity hard disk. A user interface is provided that is configured to produce a selection signal based upon an input from a user regarding the information intended for purchase by the user. The present invention performs a step of receiving and verifying a payment based upon the selection signal input by the user. Once payment is verified, the electronic information corresponding to the materials being purchased is retrieved from the data storage unit based upon the selection signal. The portion of the block of electronic information selected by the user for purchase is then printed on a medium and dispensed to the user.